Hey party people! We are very excited to announce a new program in conjunction with the O, Miami Poetry Festival entitled O,ral Records: Transit. The idea is simple: through March, we will be collecting personal stories from Miami public transit employees and riders – that means YOU! Amazing things happen to us every day; sometimes they are small moments and sometimes they are spectacular happenings, and sometimes the small moments are the spectacular happenings. We want to hear about the interesting things that happen (and have happened) to you while riding our bus, mover, trolley, train and jitney systems. There are two ways to share your story with us. You can either call 305-851-3568 or you can fill out a simple online form here.
A selection of the submitted stories will be handed over to musicians, poets, theater groups, and dancers that we work with for Buskerfest Miami programs. These artists will use the story material as inspiration for new creative works. If your story is chosen, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and work directly with a chosen artist on the interpretation of your story. The new works will be recorded and distributed online and also featured in a live performance on April 26th at the YoungArts campus.
Why “O,ral Records?” The concept is a play on oral tradition – a timeless method of relaying experiences, important events and knowledge through cultural material without the need for a system of writing. It’s been used on every continent pretty much since the dawn of civilization. And we are bringing it back! Artists have a unique way of capturing the zeitgeist of a time period that can be more colorful and experiential than traditional methods of recording history. We hope you’ll join us in creating the new O,ral Record of Miami by sharing your story today!
Much Love,
The Buskerfest Team
PS. Here’s a nice article from all the way back in 2000 by the New Times about the life of one jitney operator: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2000-06-08/news/a-life-in-transit/